We, the parish of Sacred Heart, are committed to enriching the Spirituality of the parish family, the Christian community, and all brothers and sisters created in God's divine image and likeness.  We are called by the Holy Spirit, under the leadership of our Bishop and Pastor, to assist others through the development and promotion of various ministries.  We pray for Divine guidance that we may serve others with truth, courage, forethought, and compassion.

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We offer our prayer for peace in solidarity with the Holy Father, Pope Francis for Peace in Ukraine.

We ask for the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel the Patron Saint of Ukraine, to bring peace and hope to this nation and its people.

Lord, look down with mercy and compassion on Your humble servants, and out of love for mankind hearken and have mercy on us and on the land of Ukraine.

Lift up those who fight in defense of Ukraine and her much suffering people, outnumbered though they be.

With deep compassion and mercy enlighten and make glad the hearts of the civil authorities and strengthen them by Your might.

 St. Michael the Archangel Pray for us.

New Horizons
The Prodigal Son
By:  Fr. Mark Watson, Pastor
 

 At the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners and there are scribes and Pharisees who grumble in the background.  Dining with Jesus was a celebration of repentance and forgiveness.  Jesus came into the world in order to save the lost.   The tax collectors and sinners not only eat with Jesus, but they accept his Word.  The scribes and Pharisees represent those who reject the prophet’s call.  They reject his call through grumbling against Jesus, since he accepts the “lost ones.”  In response Jesus tells three stories.  The story of the Prodigal Son portrays the experience at this meal between the tax collectors and sinners, the scribes and Pharisees and Jesus.

In this story a younger son insults the father by asking him for his portion of his inheritance.  The father divides his possessions between the two sons.  The younger son travels far from his father and wastes his inheritance which leads to an ever-greater descent.  He is left to care for swine and ultimately reaches the point at which he doesn’t even have the food that the pigs have to eat.  The young son not only loses his possessions but his very dignity.  For the Jewish people, pigs were unclean animals and thus to work with swine is to hit rock bottom.

The younger son decides that he will return to the father and tell him that he has sinned and therefore should not be received as a son but as a hired hand.  When he is still a long way off his father sees him and runs to him.  The father has been waiting on the side of the road for the return of his younger son.  When we sin, God is waiting for us in the same way.  Upon reaching the father the younger son begins to tell him that he is sorry and asks that the father take him back as a hired hand.  Before he can even finish his request, the father stops him and forgives and accepts his son.  He places a robe on the son; he places a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and then commands that a party be arranged for his son.  Our heavenly Father celebrates in the same way when we repent for our sins. 

The older son is in the fields and hears the music and dancing.  He asks a field hand for the meaning of the celebration.  The field hand tells him that his younger brother has returned and the father has thrown a party.  The older son stays in the field and refuses to enter the house.

In his love the father goes out to the older son.  In speaking with his father, the elder son shows that he has not felt like a son but instead like a hired hand.  The tragedy is that the older son did not recognize the great love that the father had for him and the privileged place that he had with his father.  The spiritual writer Henri Nowen writes that for the elder son obedience and duty to the father have become nothing but a burden, and service had become slavery.  The anger and resentment of the elder son reveals his bondage. Though he is a son he feels like a hired hand.

The elder son does not believe that the younger son deserves the father’s love.   Do we ever lose track of how God continually loves us and that we are privileged to be sons or daughters of God?  At the end of the story the elder son is left in the fields deciding whether he will come in.  The story does not reveal whether he ultimately accepts or rejects the father’s love for him.  

There are times when we are like the younger son.  Through our actions we journey far from the Father.  We are called to know the Father’s love and mercy for us and to journey back to the Father.  There are times when we act like the elder son.  In those times we don’t understand the love that God has for us and our life of faith becomes more burden than joy.  We may also resent the mercy that God shows to sinners.  We are always called to be like the Father.  Just as the Father in the story never gave up on either son so God never gives up on us.  We must never give up on others and we must show a similar mercy like that which the Father showed to both sons.  We are called to lead others to the forgiveness and love of God.  We must always know that God the Father wills to forgive us and draw us closer to Himself.

Sacred Heart Family,

Sacred Heart Grief Support Group is Helping families recover from the loss of a love one.  I also see a need for a Family Support Group to aid our families with a variety of needs, to be able to reach out in a safe and confidential way with other couples.  I would like to start a Sacred Heart Family Support Group.  The aim is to have family couples that are open minded and nonjudgmental that can listen to each other and share personal reflections.

The aim is to:
· Increase the strength and resilience of families
· Support better family relationships so to reach their full           potential
· Helps families make acquaintances with other families and     resources in the community
· Provides individualized, family-driven support that respects family culture, values, and preferences
 
Benefits
· Increases families' level of knowledge about family   relationships
· Connects parents with similar experiences
· Reduces the sense of stress and isolation
· Provides opportunities for families to support each other
 
Please let me know if you would be interested in starting this ministry at Sacred Heart.   Just email me individually at deaconnash@sacredheartshreveport.org
 
 
                                              Deacon Clary Nash
 

You can now donate/tithe/contribute online towards the needs of our church.
Please visit our online-giving page at the top bar of this page.

We will be having a Pro-Life Mass on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.  Bishop Malone and the Knights of Columbus will be joining us for this blessed event.  We hope you will be joining us also.

The Committee Members are as follows:
Father Mark Watson, Pastor
Deacon Clary Nash, Community Coordinator
Jean Woods, Chairperson
Mary Nash, Secretary 
Aga Chandler, PSR Coordinator 
Stephanie Carr, Choir Director 
Sarah Metoyer, Photographer
Pat LaCour
Kathy Kenney
Walt Recker
    

How the Lucky Calendar Numbers work for you  and
work for the good of the Church

This is what the fundraiser provides to this church:
 

• The intent is to gift 80% of sales above the cost of the program each year to the church.
• to provide a fun filled stress free Fall Fair for you, your family, and friends. 
• to show appreciation to Mother’s and Father’s by giving gifts this year and future.
• to help offset the cost to send our youth to different camps/events/retreats.
• If all 1,000 numbers are sold THIS year for 2022 calendar year, That equals $25,000.
• If all 1,000 numbers are sold, the guaranteed payout would be around $9,000

1. The gaming commission has approved this to be a fundraiser.
2. Each Lucky Calendar Number is assigned a 3-digit number
3. The winning numbers ARE the Louisiana Lottery Pick 3 numbers which are drawn & announced every night at 10 pm except Easter and Christmas when there is no drawing. 
4. For you, the payout is like this: if your number is drawn Monday through Friday, you win $25.00.  If it’s drawn on a Saturday, you win $35.00 and if it is drawn on a Sunday you win $50.
5. But if your # is drawn on one of the 20 selected special days listed on the Lucky Number, you win $100, $200 or $300 instead of the above prize.
6. There is no limit to how many times you can win, it’s all based on the Pick 3 numbers.
7. The Pastoral Council keeps up with the numbers, you don’t have to unless you choose to.
8. Each Monday winning numbers are recorded and checks are mailed. 
9. Each Lucky Calendar Number cost $25.

• Each Church family take 5 Lucky Numbers to sell to family, friends, and co-workers, etc. and be sure to turn in the address portion &  money in to the church.
• Buy one for yourself
• Buy one for your significant other
• Give as gifts

Have fun and play along.  You’ll be glad you did!

The Pastoral Council

After Wed. Morning Mass and
30 minutes before Weekend Masses)

Location:
4736 Lyba Street
Shreveport, LA   71109-0467

Postal Mail:
4736 Lyba Street
Shreveport, LA   71109-0467

Rectory:            318-635-2121
Church:             318-635-2121
Fax:                  318-635-5226
Gabriel Hall:     318-635-5446